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Updated: CES 2014: all the latest news and reviews from the show

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CES 2014: Day three

We're down to the last day of CES 2014 coverage!

But that doesn't mean there will be a short supply of news and hands ons. Keep checking back today for the last stretch of the most insane tech show of the year.

Sony's got big TVs too

Sony has an 85-inch LED Ultra HDTV, or if you want to be specific, the XBR-85X950B.

Sure, this might be the biggest and baddest in Sony's XBR range, but it's the unique features that make Sony seem closer to achieving 4K as a mainstream reality.

It's a niche product for sure, but it was still a sight to behold.

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Forget curved screens, Sony's straying from the mainstream and going wedge-shaped.

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The tapered design of the company's 2014 Bravia X9 4K line serves a distinct purpose, and not one that has to do with visuals.

Rather Sony has given the extra wedge shape over to a set of built in speakers, that are much sleeker in person. It's by no means obstructive - these are flat 4K screens and the viewing angle is the same as it would be on any such screen.

The X9 has impressed us so much, we gave it TechRadar's Best TV of CES 2014.

Acer - more than tablets

Acer showcased a bunch of new Android tablet devices earlier this week but also footnoted its announcements with a curiously familiar laptop called the Acer C720P-2600.

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Those who missed out Acer's first budget and touchscreen Chromebook, the C720P, should expect practically the same 1,366x768 touchscreen equipped laptop except in a new coat of white. Meaning it's not a huge step up, but since the C720P's predecessor is a fine machine, this one seems to be as well.

LG gets fit

LG making a play for the fitness tracker space is nothing new - it did just the same thing last year.

But this time around, things have got smarter and more oddly designed, with the new Lifeband Touch offering functionality beyond just wandering around and seeing a number raise up.

If monitoring your heart rate is a must have for you, LG has added in another cool accessory: the cleverly-named Heart Rate Headphones, which is a pair of buds that can biometrically sense your heart rate when plugged into your ears.

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CES 2014: Day two

We made it through day one of CES, and even though we're all barely standing, the TechRadar team is off to cover all the latest tech at this year's biggest consumer technology show.

Here's a look at all of the news and hands ons from day two of CES 2014.

TechRadar's Best of CES 2014 Award winners

This year's show has had everything from cameras to cars, Bravias to Bayhem - so it's been no small feat to whittle the huge array of products launched down into a greatest hits collection. But we managed to find the products that stand above the rest.

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Take a look at the new and improved Oculus Rift

The team at Oculus Rift unveiled the newest version of the virtual reality headset at CES - something a few of us here at TechRadar have been waiting for.

The new prototype is going by the name of "Crystal Cove" and adds positional tracking, improved latency and lower persistence with a new 1080p OLED display.

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PlayStation Now, now please?

The concept of backwards compatibility has caused several uproars during the pre-PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launch but now it seems like Sony might have the best solution: PlayStation Now. Maybe.

Sony has introduced a way to play its last-gen games, and you don't even need a PlayStation 3 or 4.

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PlayStation Now could be the Netflix of video games. Through a subscription or a la carte rental payments players can stream PS3 games in 720p, no console required.

Garmin get into wearables with the Vivofit

In an effort to compete with the Nike Fuelband SE and the FitBit Force, Garmin has unveiled their fitness wearable - the Vivofit.

Although Garmin has had a few fitness watches out, this is its first fitness band, but it still houses a curved, always-on display that shows daily goals, steps, goal countdown, calories, distance and, of course, the time.

Hands on with the Samsung

Samsung has been quite busy during this CES. For instance, they had a massive press conference to unveil the latest in home theater entertainment with a quick appearance and even quicker exit from Hollywood director, Michael Bay. And they've been rolling out new laptops and tablets as well.

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In fact, we took a look at their new and improved Samsung Ativ Book 9 on our second day of CES. Samsung bumped things up and knocked specs down in its effort to hit the ultimate sweet spot in a new form factor. But we're not going to go on and on about here ...

We also checked out the Samsung ATIV Book One 7 and boy, is it a slick machine so far.

In fact, we liked it so much we gave it TechRadar's Best All-in-one Computer.

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Running Windows 8.1, the ATIV One 7 looks like something out of a sci-fi flick, with its all-white glossy shell with chrome edges and few hard edges. It's simply a stunner.

But that's not all with 'ol Sammie. The company also produced a fine looking tablet - the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro, or more specifically the gigantic Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2.

It may sound like a lot of superfluous space, but it proved to be quite nice when we took a gander during our hands on. The specs are also looking pretty good so head on over to the full hands on, and check back later for the full on review.

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Lenovo has big plans this summer

And just has the holidays come to a close, Lenovo already has its eye on this summer. The ThinkPad and IdeaPad maker revealed at CES that it has "multiple" models running the Chrome OS in the pipeline, all coming this summer.

Those laptops, President of Lenovo North American Jay Parker said, will come in a variety of configurations and price points.

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John Legere loves Macklemore

In fact, Legere was kicked out of an AT&T party for trying to see the band. However, it just added fuel to the T-Mobile fire.

T-Mobile will start covering customers' early termination fees (ETFs) when they switch from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint, plus give them an additional credit when they make the move. In all, T-Mobile could end up forking up $650 per line.

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What's more, T-Mo made the claim it owns the fastest 4G LTE network in the US, treading very heavily on territory usually occupied by its competitors. The company also revealed preliminary fourth quarter 2013 results, revealing that it saw biggest customer growth in years.

CES 2014: Day one

It already feels like we've been at CES 2014 for a whole week, but it's only day one of the actual show.

But it's good news for you because it means more prospective meltdowns, gadgets and goodies from the show floor.

Keep checking back for day two and three to keep your tech hunger satiated.

DTS has some big plans

The company's latest moves are all about partnerships. DTS is introducing a growth of its Headphone:X ecosystem called the Headphone:X Headphone Tuning Program.

It's also announcing a number of ODM partners that will start taking advantages of the company's Play-Fi technology.

For more on DTS, check out our interview with CEO Jon Kirchner below.

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Yahoo's News Digest App

Yahoo's CEO Marissa Mayer took to the stage during a press conference at CES 2014 to announce a slew of new properties for the tech company.

However, before the announcement Yahoo had Katie Couric - former Today Show Host and CBS Evening News anchor - on stage to discuss her yet-to-be-defined roll at Yahoo. "It's really a blank slate," Couric said at the show.

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Then after Couric was shuffled off stage, it was on to the new developments. One of the new properties discussed was the Yahoo News Digest App. With News Digest, users get a splashy picture followed by summaries of stories culled from around the web. Click on a story and users see a brief summary, followed by a unique set of "atoms" pertinent to the piece.

Sony cloud service and more wearables

The keynote with Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai happened this morning and there were several interesting Sony tidbits announced.

The company is taking advantage of its cloud capabilities by launching a "cloud-based" TV service in the US at some point in 2014.

Sony President Andrew House says the IPTV service will run on all manner of devices and will offer on-demand television and live TV.

It's a Netflix rival of sorts that will personalize itself when it understands viewing habits.

Sony also announced a new Playstation Now game-streaming service that gives you access to Playstation games from non-Playstation devices.

Comprising of games made for all generations of Playstation from the original Playstation up to the Playstation 3, Playstation Now will let you play the games on the new Playstation 4, as well as on smart TVs, smartphones and tablets.

TechRadar also went hands on with a few Sony products here at CES. One of more notable devices, was the Sony Smartband.

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Even though it's just one more wearable in an already cluttered market, the Smartband is essentially an activity tracker that also lets users control media, calls and message alerts on their Android tablet or smartphone.

Razer introduces us to Project Christine

Razer showed off its latest concept, Project Christine - a "revolutionary new concept design," for gaming PCs according to the gaming hardware company.

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Project Christine allows you purchase upgrades to RAM, graphics, input/output and even power supply and storage, and slot them in, using the PCI-Express backbone; and offers up liquid cooling, noise cancellation and a little readout to tell you what's going on with your computer

Audi introduces a tablet. Yes, a tablet.

Just when you thought the tablet market couldn't get any more congested, Audi decided to introduce a 10.2 inch device.

The Android-powered device is designed to interface directly and seamlessly with Audi vehicles made possible through the company's partnership with Google and the Open Automotive Alliance announced at CES.

CES 2014: Pre-show

CES 2014 is underway in Las Vegas!

We touched down on January 4, and already have seen a whirlwind of new tech - from Nvidia's 192-core Tegra K1 mobile processor to cars with laser eyes.

Check out the pre-show madness below and keep an eye out for more news and hands ons.

Valve

What a CES for Valve. Though it only held a small press event Monday night, it managed to out 13 Steam Machine partners. Ranging in price and specs, the various manufacturing partners showed off their wares.

Among them was Alienware, who we got to chat with about the new tech, the new PC gaming in the living room space, and a how their machine compares to the Xbox One and PS4.

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  • We also went hands on with the Steam Controller, and you can read our review right here.

Intel

CES is all about wearable tech for Intel. The company's pre-show keynote was full of talk about future concepts put-ons like fitness tracking earbuds and a wireless charging bowl. Yeah, we don't know what that means either, but it's something Intel has apparently spend plenty of time thinking about.

The company did announce Edison, Intel's equivalent of the Raspberry Pi.

Sony

Sony too got in the wearable craze here at CES, introducing what it said may be the tiniest thing it's ever created.

Called Core, it's a small chip that can be worn in a variety of ways and is small enough to slip into a Smartband also announced by Sony.

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Sharp

Sharp showed off a slew of new TVs at a press conference on the day before the official start of CES 2014, pronouncing itself the top TV maker, with "the most comprehensive line" of HD big-screens.

That line includes the newly announced Sharp Aquos Quattron (or Q series) Plus, "the highest resolution [full] HD television available," Sharp Marketing President John Herrington said on stage.

In addition to the Quattron Plus series that plays 4K content at "half the price," Sharp unveiled two new actual 4K Ultra HD Aquos sets, at 60 and 70 inches. Sharps' 4K TVs will launch this summer, with more sizes coming later in the year.

Razer

Razer isn't just about gaming and computers anymore.

The Razer Nabu has arrived to challenge Samsung and Sony's smartwatches and the fitness bands to boot, with the gaming firm's smartband offering dual notification OLED screens.

Offering both an easily visible notifications screen and a more private message screen, the Nabu tracks a wealth of personal data including steps walked, distance travelled and sleep quality as well as location information.

LG

The Korean company announced in December that a gigantic 105-inch LED TV will be on show for the convention, and then added that five new OLED units will also be showcased, including the curved 77-incher we saw at IFA 2013.

But LG is bringing more than just TVs to Las Vegas. The company jumped the gun on its Monday keynote and let loose on the Lifeband Touch, a fitness wristband that will offer exercise goals, calorie output, take incoming calls and play music. It is compatible with Android and iOS, and we expect to go hands ... er ... wrist on with it at the show.

Samsung

Samsung hasn't officially made any CES 2014 announcements during the show yet, but all signs are pointing to the company revealing two larger-and-in-charge tablets here in LV.

In fact, on January 6 Samsung pulled the sheet off one of it's more impressive, albeit impractical, TVs - the 105-inch curved Ultra HD 4K TV.

According to our hands on review of the device: the screen is so lovely it's almost heartbreaking, and its unusual properties give it the exotic air that only truly new technology can have. What's more, the possible viewing angles are phenomenal.

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It seems Samsung is going with a curved theme this CES - it also unveiled a bendable TV. Yes, bendable.

A bendable or curved TV screen may be a bit disconcerting to the everyday consumer but according to our hands on "the bendy TV screen itself is just gorgeous. And there's no discernible dip in quality as it changes shape. It's very seamless."

The Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and the Galaxy Tab Pro 12.2 should both ring in at 12.2-inches each, making them, and look for both to sport Android 4.4 KitKat.

It definitely won't be all tablets for Sammy though; we're sure to hear plenty about its UHD TV plans as well.

Lenovo

The the 5.5-inch Vibe Z, Lenovo's flagship handset, is also the first LTE-capable smartphone from Lenovo. The Vibe Z along with three other Android handsets will splash onto the scene in Vegas.

Equipped with Qualcomm's quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU clocked at 22.GHz, the Vibe Z is capable of upload speeds up to 50Mbps and up to 150Mbps downloads, Lenovo promises.

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Lenovo's S Series of phones, the S930 and S650 (both running Android 4.2), are aimed at media junkies on a budget, and the ultra-affordable, so-so-specced A859.

The company has also outed a number of notebooks and tablets to whet your whistle, including the Lenovo Yoga 2, ThinkPad X1 Carbon, Lenovo ThinkPad 8 and Lenovo Miix 2.

Nvidia

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"Shock and awe" may have been Nvidia's M.O. during its January 5 press conference. The company dropped a bomb in the form of the Tegra K1, a 192-core mobile processor. Not only does it boast a ridiculous amount of cores, it comes in two versions - a 32-bit ARM A15 flavor and a 64-bit Dual Denver dish.

The company also touched on its auto obsession and initiatives in the car-tech spaces as well as revealing several manufacturers are prepping 27-inch monitors equipped with its display-enhancing G-Sync display enhancing modules.

Oculus Rift

It's official: The new, won't-make-you-want-to-hurl Oculus Rift is making it's way to Las Vegas.

"We're showing the latest Rift kit at CES," tweeted Oculus team member Tom Forsyth. "Should be pretty interesting. I'm looking forward to the feedback."

We can't wait to put the new lenses on.

Alcatel

Sure, it's not the biggest name in the business, but Alcatel isn't sitting silently as its competitors bask in Vegas' sun rays.

The company has announced the One Touch Idol X+, a phone with 8-cores and 5-inch full HD display, and a phablet with a mouthful of a name.

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The One Touch Pop C9 houses a 5.5-inch, 1.3GHz quad-core processor, 8MP rear camera, , Android 4.2 and 4GB of RAM. It's not the sexiest machine on the strip, but it sure is colorful.

Toshiba

What's this? A 13.3-inch Chromebook from Toshiba! Long heard of, never seen, we finally have Tosh's entry in the Chrome OS notebook space with a laptop that touts a screen larger than most.

Though the machine lacks touch, the company is looking to steal a little display wow factor with its newest 4K UHD TVs. Not only that, but the Japanese firm has also announced a new 4K Blu-ray player and soundbar, covering just about every media need in a nice neat package.

Acer

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Acer has revealed its 2014 line up of tablets that will be on the CES show floor - refreshes of the Iconia A1 and B1 series.

The Iconia A1-830, a 7.9-inch slate in a new silver, aluminum back cover sports a 1024 x 768 IPS touchscreen. Inside the A1 is a 1.6GHz Intel Atom Z2560 processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM. Despite that being a Clover Trail+ chip rather than the shiny new Bay Trail, Acer still promises 7.5 hours of battery life. The asking price: $149 (about £90.78, AU$165.91) when it lands this quarter.

The Iconia B1-720, a 7-inch tablet in a new, slimmer profile that's aimed at entry-level tablet users or children with its $129 (about £78.59, AU$143.64) price tag.

Netflix goes 4K

Netflix continued to lead the next-gen streaming charge by announcing on December 18 that it plans to produce House of Cards season 2 in 4K.

How does it plan to do this exactly? By teaming up with TV makers, of course. Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt said December 18 that the company has partnered with "major TV vendors" that will announce their 4K-Netflix-capable wares at CES.

This is 4K Netflix built into smart TVs, folks, and it's all coming in January.

YouTube also in the 4K ring

In a bid to kickstart Google's new open-source VP9 video format, YouTube will also be on hand to demonstrate 4K streaming technology.

The company's UltraHD videos will be on display on televisions at the Sony, LG and Panasonic booths using the VP9 codec Google has developed in-house.

Archos

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Archos has announced that it will be making a splurge of "connected home" devices at CES 2014, and it'll be throwing its own range of smartwatches and tablets into the mix too.

Also in the mix is an Archos fitness band - named the "Archos Activity Monitor" - that'll record your daily steps, calories burned, and will display the time in the style of the Fitbit Force.

Archos will also show off another first with its entry into the 4G smartphone market with the Archos 45 Helium 4G and 50 Helium 4G.

ZTE

After much speculation, ZTE has confirmed that it will indeed bring its ZTE Grand S II, the follow up to the Grand S, to the show.

The other handsets also making an appearance are the Nubia 5S, Nubia 5S mini and the Sonata 4G.

ZTE is also set to debut its very first Iconic Phablet, a 5.7-inch device listed to come equipped with a dual-core processor, Dolby Digital Sound and a wireless charging feature.

But that's not all! The company has a seriously full roster and plans on displaying "ZTE BlueWatch" the Chinese phone maker's inaugural smartwatch and a hybrid Wi-Fi hotspot. Lastly, ZTE said it is working in tandem with AT&T to develop the US carrier's Wireless Home Base - a device that allows users to connect their home telephone to AT&T's wireless network instead of a telephone jack.

Dreamworks

Animation giant Dreamworks has announced that it is teaming up with Fuhu to make a 'DreamTab' tablet built especially for its core young audience.

CES 2014: Show floor speculation

Below you'll find the latest inklings of what we expect from the quickly approaching show. We'll regularly refresh this page, so check back during the coming days for all the latest about the most high-profile tech show of the year.

T-Mobile unveiling phase 4

T-Mo is hyping up upcoming Uncarrier plans with the final stage four event scheduled for a CES spectacle - because you know it will be if John Legere shows up (which he most likely will).

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What can we expect from the last phase since the magenta carrier has already eliminated two-year agreements and international roaming charges while enabling customers to upgrade their handsets twice a year - not to mention 200MB of free tablet data?

It's possible that early termination fees will disappear meaning customers who switch to T-Mobile might get a $350 credit (about £214, AU$392).

Samsung to show new Galaxy phones?

Samsung hardly misses the chance to shine a spotlight on itself, and its presence at CES 2013 was no different. We saw Youm, its flexible display tech prototype, more TVs than need be listed here and former President Bill Clinton. So yes, Samsung left an impression.

For 2014, we're zeroing in on two bits of consumer tech in particular: the Galaxy Round and Galaxy S5.

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Reports suggest that with slowing sales of the Galaxy S4, Samsung has decided to push the Galaxy S5's release date up to a possible launch during CES 2014. With a potential 64-bit chip, new 16MP camera and all-metal body, consumers may forgive the oddly timed announcement and clamor for the new Android machine anyway.

Other spec rumors suggest the new Galaxy will pack a diamond-like coat, 2K display (resolution 2560 X 1440) and iris scanner, though a December 16 report suggested the S5 won't arrive until MWC 2014.

If it does debut at CES, the Galaxy S5 may not take the stage alone: Reports from December suggest Samsung is readying four or five new phones for 2014, and we would hardly be shocked to see more than one in Vegas.

As for the Galaxy Round, even though it's reportedly a prototype at this point, Samsung should have plenty to say on its ability to create bendy devices. We may hear about a full Round roll out, and possibly more on Samsung's foldable phone-to-tablet and fold-in-two handset.

With LG nipping at its heals with the G Flex, Samsung's turn at CES should show us more on the flexible display front.

And tablets and curved 4K TVs, too

There's a good chance we're in for some Samsung tablet tech, as reports indicate the company is prepping a Galaxy Note 12.2 slate that's already cleared the FCC.

Additionally, a December 18 report from Korean media suggested Samsung has a 10.5-inch AMOLED tablet stowed in its CES carry-on.

Word from SamMobile seems to suggest that the Korean company will release the Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, Galaxy Tab Pro 10.1, Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 and Galaxy Tab 3 Lite before March next year - though we may see a preview of the line up in Vegas.

As for the rest of the tech, Sammy will likely unveil its latest and greatest television sets (Vegas turns into TV town during every CES), cameras, home appliances and laptops.

In fact, the company announced on December 18 that it plans to unveil a whopping 105-inch curved Ultra HD TV come January. That means a rounded screen packed with 11 million pixel (5120 x 2160) resolution is about to make it into Samsung's wheelhouse.

The company is calling the 105 incher the "world's most curved" TV, and whether that actually means anything to viewers (good or bad) is something we'll see in Vegas.

Does ZTE have Grand Vegas ambitions?

It seems like the ZTE Grand S II, the follow up to the Grand S, will be making an appearance alongside the other phone offerings during the show.

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The Grand S II will come with an even larger 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 screen. Despite the small bump in screen size, it will remain relatively thin at 154 x 77 x 7.9mm and pack Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 chipset with 2GB of RAM.

If we don't get a peek at the S II during CES 2014, it may show up at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona instead - or heck, it may get party-happy and pop up at both events.

Holler at AMD's Kaveri APU, desktops and more

AMD revealed during its November APU13 Developer Summit that it has big plans in store for CES, specifically around its next-gen Kaveri APU.

The chipmaker said the HSA-featuring A-Series APU will have its "big coming out party" at the Vegas shindig, and we suspect AMD is planning plenty for its pre-show tech day.

Kaveri promises more compute power, namely by shifting more workload to the GPU. Running up to four Steamroller x86 CPU cores and up to eight Graphics Core Next GPU cores, Kaveri is AMD's biggest push yet into the heterogeneous system architecture space.

With the first Kaveri desktops launching January 14, we expect AMD and its OEMs to out a number of devices at the Vegas show, too.

What's more, the company has also unveiled the Beema and Mullins APUs. Designed for fanless tablets, 2-in-1 and notebooks, the APUs promise double the performance per watt than their predecessors. AMD said both chips will be on hand at CES 2014, so look for more on their performance (and how they stack up to competitors like Intel's Bay Trail), then.

64-bit chip madness

AMD's biggest chip making competitors will also be on site to make sure Kaveri doesn't hog all the love.

According to IBT, Nvidia and Broadcom will reportedly reveal brand new 64-bit processors. Analysts note that the three companies are set on releasing the new chips early in 2014 so a CES unveiling seems to make sense.

Qualcomm already announced its 64-bit processor, the Snapdragon 410, on December 9, so chances are high we will see the new dragon in action at CES. Look out for phones, if only reference designs, running the 64-bitter come January.

As for what else the silicon slingers may show, we expect to hear more on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 805 Ultra HD, 4K-supporting mobile chip, and it may even go so far as to out Snapdragon 900 (or whatever its next-gen processor will be called).

We wouldn't put it past Nvidia to lay on some Shield news, so keep an eye out for gaming gumbo to be cooked up in Las Vegas.

Microsoft's bigger presence, but not triumphant return

"Microsoft is back at CES!" or so was the flavor of many headlines in early October. Turns out the company isn't making the spectacular CES splash it was made out to be, as it quickly downplayed its plans for the 2014 show to The Verge.

That's not to say Microsoft won't be out in force in LV, as the company confirmed it will have "a substantial set of rooms for meetings with our partners." It's in these rooms we expect OEMs and press alike to learn more about the adoption of Windows 8.1 and Windows 8.1 RT, sales of Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2, what's the score with Nokia, how the Xbox One release is playing out and much more.

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During CES 2013, Microsoft showed off a pre-production Surface Pro, and we'd be hard pressed to think it won't have a new tablet, smartphone and/or phablet to generate some pre-release buzz.

Let's not rule out Microsoft hosting a press event or two, even though it's staying off the main keynote circuit.

Sony speaks to next-gen gadgets

Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai is slated to deliver a keynote address as part of the Tech Titans keynote series, "where CEOs from the most powerful companies in technology present their vision for revolutions in products, services and networks."

Sony will be coming off a holiday season high where it saw the release of the PS4, and with a few high-powered phones rumored for release before long, look for Hirai to drop sales figures and talk about Sony's role in pushing hardware innovation forward.

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More to that point, the company is reportedly working on a virtual reality headset modeled in the vein of the Oculus Rift. According to Eurogamer, Sony's targeting a 2014 release for its VR dream.

A keynote where he's supposed to talk about his "vision for revolutions in products, services and networks?" Sounds like CES 2014 is a plausible place for next-gen PS4 accessory to rear its head.

The company dropped some heavy hints in early December that its CES will focus heavily on 4K tech, so keep an eye out for camcorders, TVs and even smartphones and laptops sporting Ultra HD.

Asus prepping to pull double duty?

It's tenuous, but a teaser video released December 23 strongly suggests Asus is planning a new tablet that will pull double duty. More specifically, it seems the company is plotting a slate that can dual-boot Android and Windows.

The device in a questionable Statue of Liberty-led video may also be a tablet/laptop hybrid, or some other creation Asus' mad scientists have cooked up in the lab.

We've recently learned that a manual published on Asus' website confirms a VivoTab Note 8 is in the offing, and will probably be Asus' hot ticket item in Vegas (or at least one of them).

Yahoo's rock star heading to Vegas

Marissa Mayer is another notable name, and so far the only woman, who will be joining Sony's Hirai and Intel's Brian Krzanich for a Tech Titan keynote.

It's likely she'll expand on her previous talks about Yahoo's mobile user growth, and imminent changes to Yahoo in general.

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With all the new rollouts the company has already issued - like the new logo and email interface - we might even hear about a brand new project.

Time for LG to flex, go pixel-crazy

We don't expect LG to deviate too far from this script, but there's one smartphone topic to keep an eye out for.

As we mentioned before, the company has announced its G Flex phone, a handset that actually bends when pressure is applied (and doesn't break - that's key). Look for a some chest-thumping on that front, especially as it didn't make much of it last year while Samsung wowed us with Youm. This time, the opportunity shouldn't be missed.

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LG is slowly releasing the phone outside of South Korea, with pre-orders going live in Singapore and Hong Kong in December. Will CES hold broader release details for the G Flex? Say, for the UK, US and Australia?

It's probably still early for the LG G Flex 2, which will reportedly bend 90 degrees, but things do tend to get twisted in Las Vegas.

Interestingly, LG revealed some of what it has in store for CES in mid-December, focusing primarily on the PC front. The company will showcase a number of desktop monitors, including ones with 2K and 4K resolutions.

Also on December 17, LG announced the Chrombase, its Chrome OS all-in-one that will definitely be on the CES docket. The 21.5-inch comp is primarily business focused, and more details are due in January.

As much as we like the thought of sentient dishwashers, we'll be paying attention to what LG has to say on its CES bread-and-butter - TVs.

Speaking of ...

LG takes aim at TV dominance

Beating Samsung to the punch by mere hours, LG also announced December 18 that it's taking a 105-inch curved 4K Ultra HD TV to CES. The aspect ratio is marked at 21:9 - what LG calls "CinemaScope," but we'll see how it stacks up to Sammy's at the show.

The company also said December 19 that it plans to show its first smart TV featuring HP's cast-off webOS at CES 2014.

We wouldn't be surprised if LG shows some sort of 8K TV prototype as well (Sharp did such a thing last year). It'd be nice if we saw a price drop on the 4K TV front, but we won't hold our breath that LG or any other manufacturer is ready to do that just yet.

LG and Samsung to unveil flexible TVs?

Both LG and Samsung have been pegged to show off flexible OLED TV prototypes at CES, with one LG executive telling the Korea Times that the company's head of TV "will meet with clients and reporters ... and will promote something new" plus "unveil a remote bendable OLED TV that hasn't been seen before."

It doesn't get much clearer than that.

Samsung's flexible TV is said to have a "huge" display, and it too will have a remote that controls its bends.

Steam Machines to become more than vapor

After much teasing throughout the years, Valve finally unveiled its concept for the game console, called Steam Machines. After giving us previews of the Steam controller and SteamOS, Valve showed the first Steam Machine prototype on November 4.

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Valve is sending the machine (with varying specs) out to 300 lucky beta testers this year, and word is CES 2014 will be the console's (make that consoles) biggest coming out party yet. The Seattle Times has word that various Steam Machines will be on display at the tech show, meaning we're in for not just one but several hands ons with these PC gaming wunderkinds.

Valve itself has said information on the commercial Steam Machines is due at CES, meaning we'll have plenty of data to crunch and hands on reviews to write in early January.

In addition to Valve's own creation, Steam Machine partners are coming out of the woodwork with word they plan to show their Linux-based consoles in Las Vegas as well.

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iBuyPower has already shown off its own versions of the boxes, which we're betting will make an appearance on the Vegas show floor.

Digital Storm revealed on December 11 that it plans to unveil its Steam Machine at CES, a hybrid that runs both the SteamOS and Windows and has a starting price of $1,469 (about £896, AU$1,620).

Oppo may launch the first 2K smartphone

It's not the most well-known phone maker, but Oppo may just drop a next-gen bomb on the LVCC with the introduction of the world's first 2K smartphone.

The company teased on Twitter December 17 that its Find 7 will feature a 2K display. Oppo was first out the gate with 1080p tech, and now it looks like it has another title in its sights. Nothing is confirmed as far as a launch goes, but look for the Find 7 to grace us with its high-pixel count next month.

Wearables and fitness tech ahoy

If the thought of computers and exercise seems like an oxymoron, you couldn't be more wrong. In fact, fitness tech will see a much bigger presence during CES, with the Digital Fitness Area being expanded by 30% to include more space for new tech.

Though fitness bands like the Fitbit Force and Nike Fuelband are already familiar faces, we'll probably see more bands and other types of wearable tech battle it out for our attention.

Speaking of wearable tech, the Pebble made a splash at CES 2013 where its release was finally announced - cut to fall 2013 and a wave of others like the Sony SmartWatch 2, Samsung Galaxy Gear and Qualcomm Toq have joined the fancy watch scene. With rumors of the Google watch and Apple's iWatch hot on their heels, we definitely expect to see more smartwatches pop up during the show.

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Seems like CES 2014 read our minds: There will definitely be an explosion of smartwatches on the Vegas showfloor in the form of a "WristRevolution" where everything from app-based programs to music players, health monitors and more will be shown off.

A few confirmed watch exhibitors will be Burg Limited, COOKOO, Dennco Brands, Kronoz LLC, MetaWatch, Neptune and Qualcomm Toq.

Beyond the wrist, high fashion - or just fashion in the form wearable tech - will also make waves. Karen Chupka, senior vice president of CES, said to look out for "... jackets that adjust based on outside temperatures to solar-charging handbags and more, innovations in wearable technology are shaping the [tech] industry" at the 2014 show.

Perhaps we'll see and try out functional and fashionable tech that we won't be too embarrassed to wear (looking at you, Google Glass).

Epson, best known for its printers, has revealed that it will be announcing "several new innovations in the wearable tech space," with a press conference planned for January 6 at 4 p.m. PST. The company already has some eyewear offerings, so we're intrigued what these new innovations could be.

Speaking of Google...

It looks like we'll be seeing new tech from the search engine giant at CES.

Recent announcements from video compression company Ambarella state Google will jointly demo new new wearable cameras for use with Google Helpouts on the show floor.

The cameras record full HD video and then stream it live in real time to the Google Helpouts server over Wi-Fi or via mobile hotspots.

Intel on tablets, Haswell and Windows 8.1

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich is on tap to deliver an opening keynote at 6:30 p.m. PST on January 6. With LG at 8 a.m. and Audi's Rupert Stadler at 8:30 p.m., it's going to be a long day.

But! Back to Intel and not thoughts on all the coffee we'll be drinking. We expect Krzanich and the Intel floor team to focus heavily on Haswell, Ultrabooks housing the battery-saving, power-boosting processor, and Windows 8.1 tablets bandying Bay Trail.

In short, Intel should have quite a few new tablets as well as Ultrabooks, all centered around its own innards and Microsoft's latest OS.

Intel is also looking to shake up the wearable space with a bit of its own wearable tech. Intel CEO Brian Krzanich didn't tip his hand as to what we should expect from Intel's wearable technology, but he did hint at the processor behind it.

The company is preparing a new family of Quark chips. The low-powered System-on-a-Chip is expanding from household items to all sorts of Internet of Things devices, including wearables.

"Our view is that Quark can make almost everything smart," said Krzanich.

"We'll show you some things that you would never have thought could become smart and communicate."

The 3D printing explosion

It's not a tech expo without a 3D printing demo going on somewhere (see: IDF 2013), but CES 2014 is taking it to a whole new level with a larger-than-ever area dedicated to the machines that let you print your own bowls and vases.

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According to CNET, Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Electronic Association, said on October 1 that the 3D printing tech zone is sold out for exhibitors. The area is meant to complement others dedicated to motion tech, robotics and more.

Bre Pettis, CEO and co-founder of MakerBot, will deliver a keynote address during the Leaders in Technology Dinner. Shapiro says we can expect, "... his [Pettis'] vision for how 3D printing will transform entrepreneurship, business and consumer opportunities in the year ahead."

Will we see the tech expand beyond printing do-dads, guns and heart valves? We hope to find out in Vegas.

Did we mention there will be TVs?

If there's one thing you can always count on seeing at CES, it's the beastly TVs that get bigger - and better - every year.

Ultra HD 4K TVs will be back on hand to look at (or look up at) during the 2014 edition. A quick refresher: Ultra HD aims to deliver four times the resolution of today's full high-definition TVs, with more than eight million pixels of resolution. And because one-upmanish is always to be expected, 8K resolutions are sure to give the lights on the Strip a run for their money.

We expect the bigwigs - Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, LG, Toshiba, Sharp - plus smaller guys like Hisense to return in full form to show off bigger, better and brighter Ultra HD TVs.

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We're prepped for just about every TV presser, though pay close attention to Hisense as it will likely also discuss its foray into new devices, namely tablets.

We'll be seeing some new TV imaging tech from Dolby in Vegas as well.

At a recent event TechRadar attended, Dolby reps informed us that five of the latest OEM glasses-free 3D screens will be on the floor, and a new super intense television display - one with "better pixels," wider dynamic range and contrast sensitivity to allow for more realistic colors.

For the audiophiles

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Headphones are getting better every year, including fancy celebrity endorsed ones that will set you back quite a bit.

But we're sure there are bound to be cheaper headphones - and quite a lot of them - in Vegas.

In fact, we already know Soul by Ludacris will be on hand to demo athletic headphones "fit for professional athletes and active lifestyles," and might show up with a star or two.

Monster will also show off its headphones along with speaker docks and mobile accessories.

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